BUDAPEST, Hungary — A second personal best in the 800m and her third personal best in just over a week capped a brilliant World Athletics Championships debut for Adelle Tracey.

On Sunday the Jamaican clocked 1:58.41 minutes for seventh in the 800m final at National Athletics Centre in Budapest.

Tracey — who had broken the national record in the women’s 1500m earlier in the championships and bettered the 1:58.99 she had set in the semi-finals two days prior —admitted that despite her best effort, the pace set by the front-runners might have been too much for her to match.

World number one Mary Moraa of Kenya won in a lifetime best 1:56.03 while Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson won back-to-back silver medals with 1:56.34. Last year’s winner, Athing Mu of the United States, was third in a season’s best 1:56.61.

“This is my third PB [personal best] in a week so I’ll go take it,” Tracey said after her first global final race.

“I think that experience of being in a final was invaluable; and of course I wanted to mix it up with those girls at the front but my body’s only been to that sort of level so far, and [it was] to run a PB. It’s my fifth race over the last nine days or so, and to run the PB in that situation — I’ve got to be happy with that,” she said.

Mu led at the first 400m with 56.01 seconds, with the first three runners under 56.30 seconds.

Tracey described the pace as “pretty hot”, adding that the focus on running the 1500m this season did not prepare her to run that fast.

“We were just gearing my training for the 1500m this year; we just needed to touch on that pace a bit more to get comfortable going through that quick. Last year I was kind of saying I need to run more so I can get through these rounds so there’s lots to build on this winter.”

The World Championships experience, she said, was second to none.

“I have had the best time, honestly; that’s what’s been seeing me through all week. I just love being in this environment and being with the team and just, yeah, just taking in every second,” she said.

Despite only switching allegiance to Jamaica last year, Tracey described national record holder Natoya Goule — her room-mate for the championships — as an “iconic” competitor.

“I really wish she was here tonight. She’s just… so iconic when it comes to the middle distances. She really has been a massive inspiration for me over the years and to have her as a really good friend… [is] really special,” Tracey said.